COVINGTON, Ga. — It’s not just the high schools and colleges getting set for the 2018 football season. Middle school football is in full swing. In fact, at Liberty Middle, they’re beating the high schools in terms of being able to get on the pads.
Sports editor Gabriel Stovall was on hand to capture photos of some of the more intense moments of Liberty’s Thursday evening practice. Look for more coverage of our five middle school football teams in our 2018 Gridiron Guide magazine, set to hit newsstands on August 11.
Several of our middle school football athletes across the county are getting attention beyond just our county, but at Liberty, the focus for third-year coach Lorenzo Robinson is getting the Knights back to the place of prominence they once enjoyed.
“The history says that Liberty was the dominant team here, but apparently when I got here, they left the cupboard bare,” Robinson said. “But now, in my third year, I think we have what we need to compete.”
Liberty made the NewRock League playoffs in 2017, although it was bounced in the first round. But the eighth grade talent, particular, that’s returning for Liberty has Robinson optimistic.
“We’re expecting to have a strong defense, and I’ve got a quarterback in Dion Lewis who was a phenomenal wide receiver for us last year, but he’ll be an even more phenomenal quarterback,” Robinson said. “I’m expecting him to lead us to the championship. That ain’t no secret. That’s the expectation.”
Robinson knows what a middle school championship caliber team looks like, having won a county title during his days coaching North Clayton Middle in Clayton County. For that reason, he sees similar characteristics in this year’s team.
Other potential impact players he mentioned are defensive tackle Christian Lewis, linebacker Quinton Turner, running back Quali Deloach and 6-foot-3 wide receiver Marquavious Brown.
“Everybody knows him for basketball,” Robinson said. “He plays above the rim as an eighth grader. But he’s a freak of nature on the football field as well. All you have to do is put it up and he’ll do the rest. So we should have a balanced attack offensively, but our strongest point will be defense.”
Look for more coverage of our five middle school football teams in our 2018 Gridiron Guide magazine, set to hit newsstands on August 11.
